By D N Singh
Delinquency in duty requires to be punished and the suspension of two Engineers in Karnataka was a step in the right direction. Their fault was that the road laid during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit to Bengaluru was very sub-standard.
The patch of road was so bad that the asphalt laid on it could be removed by hand even.
Good that the concerned two engineers have been suspended for the lapses.
But why this selective plucking of the wrong doers. Only in the case of the PM’s visit a bad road came under the lanes? Poor laying of asphalts.
One wished that, such VVIP motorcades happened to pass over thousands of such roads where even before the monsoon, let alone asphalt but, there are no layers on the roads. Only potholes and manholes dotting the stretches.
The Prime Minister has given the popular slogan ’Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikash’. Even the PM would not support that,any road in the country should be so substandard that it can be scaled out with nails.
Why the national conscience wakes up when a VVIP feels the pinch in the shoes.
However, no fear of punishment or penalties for the agencies constructing roads lead to such wayward approach.
Although maintenance of roads are the responsibility of both the national and state agencies, but the ones who build and maintain roads will be liable to pay substantial fines for any kind of accident caused due to potholes, bad surfaces or any self-sustained damage.
Not only will such contractors impose fines and be barred from any future projects but they will also have to bear all the expenses for the rectification work for the damaged road .
